LVM- LOL Thanks. I am trying. :-)

Baby12- Thanks, I appreciate that.

FIRE

When he came out of the shower he noticed that she had a fire going. Her back was turned to him, and as he crept up to her to get a better look of her. Marie was sitting very close to the fire, with her legs tucked in, just staring with a blank expression, totally oblivious to him being there.

"Marie," he whispered, sitting himself down next to her, "why are you here?" She didn't waver.

"Why did you leave?" She closed her eyes, and he saw one tear trickle down her cheek. Marie tilted her head down, and quickly wiped it away. When she turned to him, it nearly broke his heart. Her eyes were so full of sadness and pain, but her expression was still so blank, as if she willed herself to feel nothing.

"Don't worry yahself 'bout meh, Logan. Ah can take care of mahself just fahne." She told him very softly. Then she turned her gaze back to the fire. It hurt a little bit that she didn't want to tell him, but he understood.

"I know, darlin' but sometimes-" he sighed, and then he lightly touched her chin and willed her to look at him, "sometimes you shouldn't have to." She stared into his eyes and smiled, so he smiled back.

"Yeah, but yah shouldn't worry yahself 'bout mah problems. Have 'nough of yah own ta last a lifetime." she drawled out. He laughed, "Was that a comment about my age?" She laughed to, and he found himself wishing that she wouldn't stop. It felt so good to hear her laugh like that. He smiled to himself thinking, 'And I caused it.'

"Well, if'n ya weren't oldah than dirt, it might not beh so easy." but as soon as the words came out of her mouth she regretted it. She put a hand over her mouth, but knowing she had already said to much she quickly apologized. He placed a hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes, stopping her in the middle of her apology.

"It's alright. Ya probably right." then smiled genuinely at her.

"Look at us jabberin' lahke crazy. Ya probably pretty tired, Ah should let-" She was on her way to stand up when he stopped her again, grabbing her wrist and pulling her back down.

"No, I said we needed to catch up." he told her sternly.

"Same ol' Logan, Ah see. Not lettin' anythin' get in ya way, huh?" Then she looked him over. He felt a little bit uneasy under her gaze. 'What am I doing? This is Marie, and since when do I feel like this around a woman?'

"So, what'cha lahke ta know?" He thought about asking her why she was here again, but opted against it, deciding to ask smaller, easier questions first.

"How old are you now?"

"Twenty-two."

"Seriously?" she laughed at him and hit him on the arm.

"What, don't believe meh?"

"No, it's been that long. You're older, but ya still a baby." she quickly narrowed her eyes.

"Is that a crack at mah age, suh?" it was his turn ta laugh.

"Yeah, guess payback's a bitch."

"Is it mah turn now?" he didn't really expect her to want to ask him anything but nodded and gestured for her to go ahead.

"Did ya evah learn anythin' 'bout yahself, Ah mean?" he nodded.

"Yeah, but nothing worth much."

"Even aftah all this tahme?" he just nodded again.

"So, really why are you out here?" her gaze once again at the fire. He was beginning to just want to put the thing out.

"Ah thought Ah answered that for ya already."

"Yeah, but not fully. Why did you leave the school?" then he heard her, it was a very quiet whisper, that wouldn't be audible to anyone else, but his hearing picked it up. "It hurt too much."

"What hurt?" she looked back at him, but unwilling to meet his eyes.

"Everythin'."

"Did somebody hurt you Marie?" she smiled to herself.

"Always the protector, aren't ya?"

"Of course I am. I promised you." She shook her head.

"Doesn't matter anymore, none of it does." She stood up and backed away from him to make sure he couldn't pull her back down.

"You matter." she ignored his statement and turned away from him to go back to her room. She stopped momentarily behind the couch so he stood up.

"Ah need ta get some sleep, and ya probably need some too. Ah'll see ya in the mornin' sugah." He smiled and nodded.

Logan watched her saunter over to her bedroom, wishing she would tell him more, but also wishing he could just walk in there with her. He grabbed the arm of the couch in order to keep himself from following her as he saw her slowly let the robe slip down her shoulders and into her hands right before she closed the door. He stood there for a moment rewinding that picture in his head a few times before plopping down on the couch. 'Definitely not letting her get away from me. She's going to tell me what's going on. I am not leaving.'